


Stitch In Your Knitted Brow

by waitingtobelit



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-26
Updated: 2013-08-26
Packaged: 2017-12-24 17:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/942782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitingtobelit/pseuds/waitingtobelit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Marius, dear.” Cosette says, eyes twinkling with mirth. “You’re going to catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that.”</p>
<p>Marius worries over the perfect gift for Cosette on her birthday; Cosette gives him a gift in return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stitch In Your Knitted Brow

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: I just felt like writing Cosette/Marius fluff because they are such adorable lovebirds. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Les Miserables; this was written for solely recreational purposes.

The messily wrapped box trembles in Marius’ hands as he waits just outside Cosette’s apartment. His nails dig further into the floral-print wrapping paper the harder he attempts to stare holes into the red door. He hasn’t even pressed a hand to the buzzer yet, rocking slightly back and forth on his feet as he gnaws on his bottom lip, a nervous habit retained from his upbringing with his grandfather. _“Marius, stop chewing your lip! It’s not a piece of meat. And straighten your shoulders, for God’s sake!”_ echoes in his mind as he shifts his parcel from one hand to the next.

He tries to avoid dwelling on the fact that today is Cosette’s birthday. He prays his outfit – a plaid shirt beneath Courfeyrac’s forest green cardigan and the nicest jeans he owns – proves nice enough, hopefully diminishing the gangly nature of his limbs. He hopes his hair, typically mussed from his tendency of falling over and into inanimate objects, stays in place for once. He tries to ignore the fact that this is his first birthday gift for his first girlfriend as his stomach churns and his heart threatens to stumble out of his chest.

Most of all, Marius prays Cosette likes her gift. He hopes she likes the fragrance – the scent of new books, which he still can’t quite believe is an actual perfume, even after taking a whiff of the sample offered by the quaint clerk in the even quainter store.

Yet, once he had smelled said fragrance, Marius found himself as utterly enchanted as the day he first set eyes upon Cosette in the Luxemborg Gardens. Just as his stomach had lurched at the music in her bright eyes and the fluttering of her hair, his heart had tilted inside his chest at how perfectly the perfume mirrored the actual scent of new books.

Since he first learned to read, Marius had taken great comfort from books. They proved his most loyal (and truly, only) companions before he all but walked into Courfeyrac coming out of a café just at the edge of the city. Reading allowed him an escape from the gaudy colors and garish politics of his grandfather’s world; they provided a connection with the father he had barely known in life. Books, like Cosette, gave him hope.

Of course, he’d had to buy the perfume then. He had only briefly balked at the price before handing over the remains of his paycheck. He had resigned himself to living on what remained of his groceries for the rest of the week. Cosette deserved a perfect gift for a perfect birthday.

He stands before her door now, unable to alert her to his presence, yet unable to leave. Glancing down at the box, lightening his grip as a piece of the wrapping paper tears, Marius wonders if his purchase is but a manifest of his own selfish desires. Perhaps he only bought the scent to unite his adoration of books and his love for Cosette, without even considering potential allergies or unwanted memories associated with particular scents. He knows Cosette adores fashion from their multitude of conversations revolving around the subject; what if her heart is set on a fragrance more in vogue? What if she prefers only organic oil blends? He starts to sweat as he rocks faster on the balls of his feet, every worst case scenario entwining with his thoughts like ivy.

Marius’ worries entangle him so that he does not hear the gentle percussion of approaching footsteps, nor the creaking of an opening door.

“Marius? Are you alright?”

He yelps, almost falling forward before Cosette catches him by the shoulder. Her golden hair is tied back in a braid, strands of it flickering around the sly grin brightening her already glowing face. She is as lovely as a butterfly in May dressed in her pale, yellow sundress and matching high heels. Marius can’t seem to close his mouth or halt the flush warming his freckled cheeks.

“Marius, dear.” Cosette says, eyes twinkling with mirth. “You’re going to catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that.”

He snaps his mouth shut as he finally tears his gaze from her.

“Come in!” She grabs his hand and pulls him into her apartment behind her.

“You look so lovely.” He mumbles as she wraps her arms around his neck, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. He blushes more as he kisses her back, juggling her present in one hand as he wraps the other around her waist. He never tires of the weight of her against his chest, her nose brushing against his as they hold each other with all the tenderness of more world-weary lovers.

“As do you.” She says when they part. “Even more so than usual.”

“Courfeyrac dressed me.” Marius admits, ducking his head. “You know, for your birthday.”

Cosette kisses him on both cheeks. “Bless him for knowing how to color-coordinate. Is he coming tonight?” Her lips twist into a smirk. “For my surprise party?”

“Yes, of course. Said he wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Marius winces. “I’m sorry again for ruining the surprise, I really-”

“Hush.” She says before kissing him again. “You’re lucky you’re cute when flustered.”

At that, Marius can only stutter and stumble over his words, as he is so prone to around Cosette. She bursts into giggles as she drapes her arms over his shoulders. The lack of distance between them reminds him of the package in his hand.

“Oh!” He says, backing out from her arms to present the parcel to her. “Here, I. I want to give you this now. I hope you like it.”

Cosette takes the gift with all the wonder of a five-year old child. He runs his hand through his hair as she turns the package over in her hands, her smile widening as she takes in the floral design of the wrapping paper. He tries to keep himself still as she begins to unwrap, trying to quiet the myriad of self-doubts twittering in his thoughts; his hands begin to grapple against one another.

“Oh, Marius.” She breathes as she pulls the box from the remaining strands of wrapping paper. “This is wonderful!”

“Really?!” Marius squeaks, unable to comprehend the sincerity in her voice or the vibrancy of her eyes. He can still just barely fathom the concept of inspiring the joy of another person.

“Yes, really.” Cosette throws her arms around his neck again, her gift dangling from one hand as she squeezes him tight. “Now I can walk around smelling like a library; it’s perfect!”

His cheeks ache with the size of the grin that unfurls across his face; she kisses him thoroughly as he tugs her in closer.

They remain like that for a good few moments, kissing and clinging to each other with fervor. Cosette leads them in a dance close to the lavender sofa in the middle of the room, gently tossing the perfume in the center of it before leaning back in to nuzzle at Marius’ left cheek. He giggles before pulling back slightly. Cosette tilts her head in confusion before he lifts her into the air and spins her around.

“Marius!” She throws her head back and laughs; he laughs with her as they spin around, the pair of them like reckless fairies romping beneath an even more reckless moon. He feels ready to take flight from the newfound lightness in his chest.

He puts her down when he becomes too dizzy to concentrate on anything other than her smile. She tugs at his hand as they both collapse on the ground, a pile of limbs and breathless giggles.

“So you like it, then?” Marius says, turning to rest on his elbow as she sprawls beside him on the floor.

“Best birthday present ever!” Cosette murmurs as she leans up to kiss him again. “The perfume isn’t half bad, either.”


End file.
